Distributing apparatus



O. C. HOUGHTON DISTRIBUTING APPARATUS Nov. 1, 1932. 1,885,828

Filed Dec. 5, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l ,Zz/enfor 0/159 ,fifoug w Q/ Z Nov. 1, 1932. o. c. HOUGHTON DISTRIBUTING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 5, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 flry awk 2;, W

gto r rzgg's Patented Nov. 1, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT osrc' oRLEYc. HOUGETON, or BACINE, WISCONSIN" V V DISTRIBUTING APPARATUS Application filed December 5, 1930. Serial No. 500,264.

My invention refers to distributing apparatus in general, and it is particularly applicable to silos wherein the cut feed is distributed into the silo and, by various means, distributed as near as possible uniformly. 1 My invention is particularly directed to automatic means for distributing material, such for example, as leaves and-corn, the mechanism employed being such thatthe heavy and light articles of feed are evenly distributed throughout the entire surface, whereby excessive loss in silage is eliminated.

A further object of the invention is to.

provide, in connection with the standard delivery chute, a blade or deflector associated with the mouth of the chute in such manner that said deflector is mechanically rotated about the axis of the chute, and its position during such rotation, is also shifted radially, 9' whereby an even distribution of the feed is effected.

Another object of my invention is to pro-- vide an impeller means associated with the chute and in gear connection with a deflector, whereby the deflector is rotated about the axis of the chute, and, incidentally, its position is also shifted radially, whereby the feed is gradually directed from the center of the silo to its walls in a uniform shower.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain peculiarities of construction and combination of parts as will be fully set forth hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings and subsequently claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents a fragmentary sectional View of the top portion of a standard silo, having a discharge chute entering thesame and equipped with an apparatus embodying the general features of my invention, parts being in section and other parts broken away to more clearly illustrate structural features.

Figure 2 is a detail face view of a star wheel utilized for imparting radial adjustment to a feed deflector.

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sec tional elevation of the mechanism embodying the features of my invention; and

Figure 4 is a plan'view of the same, with parts broken away and in section, as indicated by line H of Figure 1.

Referring by characters to the drawings, A represents the top portion of a standard silo "provided with a filling opening B of the usual type, and extending through this filling opening is a pipe or chute'C', which chute extends downwardly to suitable mechanism whereby the cut feed isdelivered by airpressure in a stream through'the mouth of the chute into the central portion of the silo.

The chute is provided with an ofiset housing 1 having journalled therein a drive shaft 2, which drive shaft, carries an impeller 3 provided with blades 3, which blades, in

their rotation, project into the chute through an opening& in the rear wall thereof. 7

The drive shaft 2 also carries a worm 5 that is suitably encased in the housing 1 and said worm, and. said worm meshes with a worm wheel 6 mounted upon a-vertically disposed countershaft 7, whichshaft' at its upper and lower end is provided with suitable bearings that extend from the said housing. The lower end of the countershaft carries a pinion 8, which pinion is in mesh with the teeth 9 of a ring 10.

The ring is mounted upon an angle iron circular track 11 suitably secured to the dis charge mouth D of the chute, througha plurality of anti-friction. rollers 12, as best shownin Figure 3 of the drawings. The anti-friction rollers are mounted upon studs 18 that extend from the rotary ring 10, it being understood that the track 11 and rollers are suitably protected by a circular contact shield 14:, which may constitute part of the ring, with its inner edge in close but free wall of a deflector or boot 20. The boot 20, at its upper heel portion, is pivoted to ears 21 that form part of the ring arm 15. The boot or deflector, as shown, is provided with parallel side walls and a curved bottom wall which extends from the pivot point of the boot to its toe, it being understood that the position of' the boot is such that. its curved bottom face is always within the field of discharge of the chute.

The fingers of the star wheel,*as bestshown 5 the silo, thus,.said cables may be led down to a convenient position whereby they may be operatedto shift theposition of the anchor plate.

From the foregoing description, it is manifest that asthe light and heavy particles travel through the chute, either under air pressure or gravity, the volume willimpart rotation to the impeller 3, which, in 'turn, through its gear connections, will rotatethe if ring 9Jand'thus cause the deflector or boot 20., carried thereby, toflrevolv'e above the mouth of the chute.

In coordination with this movement, the discharge-toe a? of theboot is radially adjusted with relation to theaxisof. rotation of the ring,whereby the ensilage is supported from approximately a centralrpositiomwith rela: tion to the walls of the silo, radially to .the boundary or side walls in auniform'stream',

ithu's insuring properdistribution.

, This. radial adjustment of the boot isef- .f

fected, by the fingers or teeth of the star wheel 17, engaging either-one of the'anchor pins 22. and 22. "If, for example, the-anchor pin 22 hasbcen manuallyv adjusted by the cahles 26 and 27; into the path of travel-of the -delivery chute;ariimpeller having blades extending into the chute, a ring rotatably mountedwith' relation to the chute mouth, a gear connect on between the rlng and 1mp'eller', aboot pivoted to the ring, an arm extending from said ringastar-wheel carried bythearm, :a spindle in threaded unionjwith the star; wheel forengagement with the boot, and a manually controlled oscillatory anchorhavin-g tapet pinsadapted to be "selectivel shifted in the path of travel of the star wheela I p Y 2. A: I distributing.apparatus, comprising. a delivery chute, a head rotatably mountednon the chute, an .impellerhaving blades extende ing-into the chute androtatedby the passage of. material through thee-chute, vmeans opera tively connecting the impeller with the head for bringing about the rotation .of saidhead, a boot ro'clrably connected fwith" theihiead, means for rocking; the head including :a feed screw, a feed nutfor actuatin the screw,.an operating wheel connected wit thelnut hav ing a plurality offradially extending arms, a

'rocking, platemounted at one side, of the chamber having upper and lower tappet" arms arranged. on opposite sides of the axial center of sai'd wheel, and means, for shifting said member for bringing either of said tappet pinsin the path of thearms of the wheel; {In testimony that "-1 "claim the foregoing, I have hereunto set my hand atMilwjaukee in the county of lVfilwaukeeQand'Sta-te of flf/l isconsin.

. O Y C luouenroug:

star wheel, the screw threaded connection between the spindleandgstar wheel will cause the toe as at the boot to move 'radia-lly'step by step from the axis ofthe ohutemouth,'and

thus change the position of the discharge of the feeds lightly with: each rotation of .the

ring. Should it be desired" to reverse the position of the toe w, afteriit-has reached its extreme outwarddischargepoint, the anchor plate 23 is manually shifted so as to bring the .tappet pin 22 into the athoftravel of Y the. star wheel, whereby .t e movement of i, w

the chute will slowly; reverse frcmthat posi tron ndicated indotted lines in Figure 1, to 

